Published: Sunday, July 13, 2014 at 12:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, July 11, 2014 at 8:55 a.m.

The people of Chester's Mill, the encapsulated small town on CBS' locally filmed series "Under the Dome," aren't often afforded a peaceful moment to think back to the time before the dome came crashing down.

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But the stars of the show are a different story. While on the show's Chester's Mill High School set on the EUE/Screen Gems Studios lot, several cast members were posed a question – "What piece of advice would you give your character before the dome came down?"

Their answers reflected their familiarity with their characters, their theories about the dome and even their understanding of their own acting abilities.

For Colin Ford, who plays the inquisitive Joe McAlister, his advice would be simple: "Stock up."

"I would probably tell him to just get more supplies. Be prepared," said Ford, who feels Joe is already a prepared kind of guy. "I don't think the dome could have been prevented, so I think preparing would be the best thing."

Mackenzie Lintz, who plays Joe's investigative partner and love interest, Norrie, is unsure if her angst-ridden character would have listened to any advice.

"I don't think in that situation she would have taken advice because before the dome," Lintz said, "she was a guarded teenage girl on her way to teenage girl boot camp."

But following the events of the first season, which found Norrie finding her place in Chester's Mill and overcoming the sudden death of her mother, Lintz says no advice she could have given Norrie would be as beneficial as what she has learned while inside the dome.

"I think all the advice that she needed has come from the dome and Joe and her mom," Lintz said. "She got all of the advice she needed from them and maybe even the reality check she needed from the dome. It has transformed her into the person I think she has always been somewhere deep inside."

Assisting Joe and Norrie this season will be Joe's science teacher, Rebecca, whose persistent pursuit of scientific answers regarding the dome will make her an interesting new presence in town. For her portrayer Karla Crome, only one piece of advice comes to mind that might help Rebecca in season two.

"I would tell her to question her unrelenting faith in science," said Crome, who noted viewers will understand why as the season goes on.

Unlike her fellow cast members, Grace Victoria Cox may have a hard time coming up with an answer to the question. Her character Melanie, introduced in the second season premiere, seemingly appears out of nowhere under the dome, with any clue to her identity a mystery to herself and those around her.

So Cox answered from the standpoint of an actress giving advice to herself. Especially since "Dome" marks her first acting job of any kind.

"I would tell myself to be prepared that when they say mystery, they mean mystery," Cox said, laughing. "It has been really interesting not knowing what is going to happen to her next and to figure it out with everyone else. But they mean it when they say mystery."

<p>The people of Chester's Mill, the encapsulated small town on CBS' locally filmed series "Under the Dome," aren't often afforded a peaceful moment to think back to the time before the dome came crashing down.</p><p>But the stars of the show are a different story. While on the show's Chester's Mill High School set on the EUE/Screen Gems Studios lot, several cast members were posed a question – "What piece of advice would you give your character before the dome came down?" </p><p>Their answers reflected their familiarity with their characters, their theories about the dome and even their understanding of their own acting abilities.</p><p>For Colin Ford, who plays the inquisitive Joe McAlister, his advice would be simple: "Stock up."</p><p>"I would probably tell him to just get more supplies. Be prepared," said Ford, who feels Joe is already a prepared kind of guy. "I don't think the dome could have been prevented, so I think preparing would be the best thing."</p><p>Mackenzie Lintz, who plays Joe's investigative partner and love interest, Norrie, is unsure if her angst-ridden character would have listened to any advice.</p><p>"I don't think in that situation she would have taken advice because before the dome," Lintz said, "she was a guarded teenage girl on her way to teenage girl boot camp."</p><p>But following the events of the first season, which found Norrie finding her place in Chester's Mill and overcoming the sudden death of her mother, Lintz says no advice she could have given Norrie would be as beneficial as what she has learned while inside the dome. </p><p>"I think all the advice that she needed has come from the dome and Joe and her mom," Lintz said. "She got all of the advice she needed from them and maybe even the reality check she needed from the dome. It has transformed her into the person I think she has always been somewhere deep inside."</p><p>Assisting Joe and Norrie this season will be Joe's science teacher, Rebecca, whose persistent pursuit of scientific answers regarding the dome will make her an interesting new presence in town. For her portrayer Karla Crome, only one piece of advice comes to mind that might help Rebecca in season two.</p><p>"I would tell her to question her unrelenting faith in science," said Crome, who noted viewers will understand why as the season goes on. </p><p>Unlike her fellow cast members, Grace Victoria Cox may have a hard time coming up with an answer to the question. Her character Melanie, introduced in the second season premiere, seemingly appears out of nowhere under the dome, with any clue to her identity a mystery to herself and those around her.</p><p>So Cox answered from the standpoint of an actress giving advice to herself. Especially since "Dome" marks her first acting job of any kind. </p><p>"I would tell myself to be prepared that when they say mystery, they mean mystery," Cox said, laughing. "It has been really interesting not knowing what is going to happen to her next and to figure it out with everyone else. But they mean it when they say mystery."</p><p>Hunter Ingram: 343-2327</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @WilmonFilm</p>